


So, Cole...

by Narienne



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Stammering Cullen, War Table (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-30 12:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3937231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narienne/pseuds/Narienne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not easy to have a mind-reading spirit wandering around, especially one who somehow fails to read that you desperately want him to keep his mouth shut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A mage and a templar

“Inquisitor!” Commander Cullen called out to her as she strode through the courtyard heading towards the Skyhold garden. “You will like to hear this. We received news about Cole’s friends. Our people managed to locate Rhys and Evangeline and rescued them from the hands of red templars”. Her face lit up at the good news. _Cole will be happy._

“I asked you not to do this. But it saved them. It helped.” Cole suddenly showed up near them out of nowhere, which was only typical of this strange lad.  
“They are both wounded, but nothing serious. They should be back on their feet in no time.” Cullen gave Cole a reassuring smile. As an ex-templar, he knew too well how it was to worry about friends missing in action.

Seeing him smile made her smile as well. From what Cole told her, Evangeline was a former templar, who stood against the Chantry to protect mage Rhys. _So romantic._ She secretly wondered if Cullen would have done the same for her, should they met when he was still a knight-captain in Kirkwall. 

“A mage and a templar. The more different, the more alike.” Cole started his usual cryptic rambling. Cullen offered her the report and, as she was reaching for it, their hands touched briefly sending little shiver down her spine. 

“Wrong. But the poisonous fruit shouldn’t taste that sweet.” Cole continued. She wasn’t really paying attention, convinced he was talking about his freshly recovered friends. “She is afraid, but she wants to eat. He doesn’t like magic, but she likes him.” With each Cole’s word slowly realization poured down on her like a bucket of cold water. “Eyes burning holes in the soul. Hands everywhere.” A mage and a templar Cole was talking about weren’t Rhys and Evangeline. “Smell of leather and steel. White-hot lips on bare skin. Doesn’t want to want, but wants. More. More than he gives.”

 _Maker, no!_ Cole was reading her thoughts she wouldn’t even dare to think. Sudden attack of panic made her freeze with a hand still reaching for the report. Now Trevelyan’s skin felt indeed white-hot, but it wasn’t because of Cullen’s imaginary kisses. In an act of desperation, she turned around and fled, leaving the report still in astonished Cullen’s hand. If he realized what Cole was talking about, she didn’t stay long enough to find out. The fact that he didn’t call after her made it painfully obvious that he did realize. Now there was only one thing to do. She would throw herself from the battlements. That’s certain.


	2. Crap

He rubbed her lower lip with his thumb just before lowering his face to place a hot kiss on her neck. This amazing sensation sent shivers through her body. She wanted his lips on hers, his tongue against hers, his hands on her willing body. And he was only too eager to give it to her. His mouth moved to kiss her collarbone and hands touched her breasts. She gasped and he gave a small groan of appreciation showing he liked the feel of them. One of his hands slowly wandered lower, along her belly, to the waistline of her pants and shamelessly slid inside. _Oh, Maker._ She slightly parted her legs giving him a better access to the spot that desperately screamed for his attention. She wanted him more than anything ever in her life and in this moment he was only hers. Everything was perfect. Almost. Would be, if only this annoying rumbling stopped, in the name of Andraste!

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

Trevelyan sat up straight, brutally dragged out from her beautiful dream by cruel reality. “Yes?” She answered automatically, mind still cloudy from sleeping. And maybe alcohol. She reached out with her memory to recall the last night. Yes, definitely alcohol. She might have gone a little overboard while crying her eyes out in Dorian’s sleeve. Dorian was a very good listener, as long as his mug of ale was full. And hers. 

“Your Worship, ambassador Montilyet wishes to remind you of today’s meeting with Comtesse Solagne Montbelliard.” A voice outside the door informed. “Ah, yes. Yes, I remember of course.” _Crap._ Her fast answer made it clear she hadn’t remembered, but the task of the messenger was fulfilled and he departed, leaving her to the company of her awful hangover. 

She rubbed her face, trying to make the outside world more welcoming. “Crap.” She repeated out loud. Her life was a failure. First of all, she shamelessly fancied her commander. If that wasn’t enough, she gloriously humiliated herself in front of him the previous day. And then, instead of throwing herself from the battlements, as every decent Inquisitor would do, she drunk herself blind with a Tevinter mage. And when she finally somehow managed to crawl to her quarters, she had the most shameful dream starring no one else, but the very commander. Freaking Herald of Andraste, Maker’s tits. And now this Comtesse something something. A busy day was awaiting her. Apparently throwing herself from the battlements would have to wait. She also had to get ready for their tomorrow’s departure to Emprise du Lion. Ah, and the war room meeting in the afternoon with her advisors. All three of them… Trevelyan felt her stomach tying up in knots. Suddenly the battlements went drastically up on her priority list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't plan to write anything more than the first chapter, but to my great surprise some people wanted to know what would happen next. And since it was fun to write and I'm a real PRO at PROcrastinating instead of working, I wrote the following chapter. Cheers.


	3. A very dreadful meeting

Trevelyan made her best to look more or less presentable. She had very vague idea what this comtesse Solagne Montbelliard wanted to discuss. She could hardly pronounce the ridiculous Orlesian name. Fortunately all she had to do was to sit there and look Heraldy, while Josephine would do all the talking. Nothing too demanding. The real challenge was to come later - a dreadful war room meeting, with Commander Cullen sitting right on the opposite side of the table, unwaveringly looking at his disgraced Inquisitor for however long the meeting was going to last. She felt a cold shiver at the very thought. _Andraste, if you really saved me at the Conclave, save me now!_

***

They all took their usual places around the war table, Trevelyan at one side and Leliana, Josephine and Cullen at the opposite. Josephine started the meeting giving report on their morning encounter with weirdly named comtesse. The meeting went better than Trevelyan thought. Comtesse was delighted to give all her support to the Inquisition. Something she found rather surprising, considering the fact that the noblewoman met Herald at her worst state of mind. But, as it seemed, Josephine was shining so brightly, that she brightened all the flaws, including the dark shades under eyes of hangovered Herald. 

Trevelyan was in agony. All the time she was desperately trying to avoid looking in Cullen’s direction. The meeting was taking awfully long and with every minute the probability that this fact would draw someone’s attention was rising. One person in the room was a spymaster after all. Strangely, Cullen also seemed distracted.  
“You were saying something about… Cullen?” Josephine apparently pulled him out of his thoughts.  
“Hm? I… no. Nothing important, it slipped my mind already.”  
“Ah, what about these two your troops were looking for near Val Firmin? I heard you had managed to retrieve them.” Leliana asked. 

Trevelyan’s body stiffened. Up to this moment she clung to the hope that maybe this subject somehow wouldn’t surface. Maybe Cullen wouldn’t think it worth mentioning. Hope was gone. Cullen went quickly through all the reports in his hand and found the one Leliana was asking about. The very one he was about to hand over to Trevelyan the previous day. His eyes quickly scanned the writing and she felt all her limbs go soft. _Maybe it’s not that bad_ , she thought trying desperately to calm herself. _Maybe I’m just freaking out over nothing and Cullen didn’t even know what Cole was blabbering about._ Cullen glanced up from the paper and for a slightest moment, a moment that for her seemed like a whole Blessed Age, their eyes met. That was it. He knew.

Cullen started reading the letter from Rhys, but she couldn’t hear him anymore. Trevelyan was on fire, white flames of shame dancing on her cheeks. She wholeheartedly prayed for Corypheus, red templars, Venatori, whoever else wished to, all at once storming Skyhold. If she was meant to die at the hand of one of them, Maker’s breath, now was the moment. 

He finished giving the report and, to her astonishment, the world didn’t end. The meeting was over and Trevelyan was left to her preparations for trip to Emprise du Lion. Before, the very thought of the place made her shiver, but now the perspective of snow, ice and constant cold seemed strangely welcomed. Hopefully she would freeze there somewhere. Dragon hunting also started to seem like a good idea. Maybe she would be eaten in the process. She honestly hoped for that. And all that because of Cole. She made a mental note to strangle the boy at sight next time she sees him, before he gets to say a word. Though, on the second thought, she would better simply take him with her to Emprise du Lion. The farther he was from Cullen, the better. If she had any luck at all, he would be eaten by a dragon too.


	4. Interference

This trip was probably the worst from all their trips so far. Not that they encountered any danger on their way, no, and that was the problem. She would eagerly throw herself at every red templar that would stand on her way, but none did. Instead, they were running around collecting herbs and delivering messages. No dragon showed up either. Trevelyan was in foul mood and everyone was smart enough to keep the distance. Only Cole seemed to struggle.

She was sitting near the fire, trembling like an aspen leaf. Cole skulked at the opposite side of the camp, observing her intently and creasing a blanket in his hands. She knew he was itching to offer it to her. It would help her freezing self after all. But he must have also seen in her head that she didn’t want him anywhere near her and thus he was in a cleft stick. Finally, hesitantly, he decided to approach.  


“I’m sorry I upset you.” He said as Trevelyan stormed him with her gaze. “I can make him forget what I said if you want.”  
“And you can make him forget how I ran away like some…” She shook her head at her own pitiful self.  
“No, that I can’t do.” Cole lowered his eyes apologetically. “But you don’t want him to forget.”  
She felt her anger rising. Couldn’t she for once decide herself what she wanted and what she didn’t want? She opened her mouth to tell Cole what she was thinking about his “helping”, but the next sentence stopped her.  
“And he doesn’t want to forget too.”

Now that was something new. It was the first time Cole ever mentioned what _Cullen_ was thinking. Trevelyan saw the Orlesian window of opportunity opening before her. She took the blanket from boy’s hands, wrapped it around herself and moved to make him a place next to her.  


“Cole.” She started, thinking carefully how to put her question into words. “You sometimes listen to Commander Cullen’s thoughts, right? What… what does he…”  
“Sounds of steel on steel. Straight. Arms hurt from the heaviness. Not fast enough. Blood. He must make them all protect themselves so they can protect you.”  
“Ah, yes, but…” Sometimes Cole could be painfully slow on the uptake. Well, always, actually. She tried again. “What was he thinking there on the courtyard, when we were discussing Rhys and Evangeline?”  
“I don’t know. There was interference.” Cole stated in a surprisingly matter-of-fact manner. “Interference.” He repeated, seeing her puzzled expression, like it was something she should know all about. “All the thoughts wreathe in his head. It happens sometimes when you get too close. I don’t like it too much. It makes my head spin.” Sensing her confusion and afraid to upset her again, he added quickly “But he likes it, a lot. When you get too close. Even though it makes his head spin too.”  


Cole’s words stroke her dumb. “Oh…” That was all she managed to articulate.

She felt dumbfounded. If Cole was saying the truth, and she could by no means picture a spirit of compassion making things up, that would mean… _That would actually mean that maybe…_ Now _her_ head was spinning. A possibility so unreal that she was afraid even to voice it in her head. Suddenly she desperately wanted to be back in Skyhold and the dragon hunting was instantly forgotten. She removed the blanket and wrapped it around Cole. She was warm enough.


	5. A push. A solid one.

_In the meantime in Skyhold_

Dorian looked at the label on the bottle in his hands. No person alive and very few dead would refuse a glass of the finest Tevinter wine. People used to say it was made from tears of Tevinter slaves. _Ridiculous._ If slaves cried instead of making wine, there would be no wine at all.

“Tears or no tears, it must suffice.” He said to himself as he set off for his grave mission to save Thedas. When he joined the Inquisition he never expected any gratitude. He knew this decision might even cost him his life, but he also knew that something had to be done and he was the only one who could do it. With things as they were now, he was fully convinced that if Corypheus showed up, lady Inquisitor would hug him tight and sob with relief at the coming death. 

He sighed recalling the evening they shared a few days before.

***

Dorian was walking down the stairs from the library, when he bumped into distressed Trevelyan, who wrapped her hands around him and buried her nose in his chest with a giant sob.

“Now, Inquisitor. That’s an unexpected show of affection. You almost make me embarrassed. If Mother Giselle sees us like this, you will have a whole Chantry on your head before the dinnertime.”  
“Chantry is the least of my concerns right now. My life is ruined. It can’t be any worse.”  
“There, there.” He patted her on the back, unsure if he should hug her too. “I’m sure we can still make it worse. Why don’t we grab some drinks and think of some nice ways to do so.”  
“No. I’m going to crawl under my bed and never come out again.”  
“As much as I’m sure you would be completely capable of leading the Inquisition from under your bed, you might present yourself much less sumptuously than when sitting on that giant throne of yours. Maybe reconsider?”

Another loud sob answered him.

“But if you insist, I’m sure there is enough space for two mages and two cups of ale.”

She finally lifted her face up from Dorian’s chest and looked at him. As much as the underside of her bed was an unquestionable top position on the list of Cullen-free places in Skyhold, tavern was also pretty high. 

“Alright.” She said.  
“You sweep the floor under your bed then, and I will bring the ale.”

Trevelyan chuckled. She knew Dorian could make her feel better. “If I were to put a Tevinter mage under my bed, I’m sure Mother Giselle would already be there. We better go with the tavern.”

Dorian pictured Mother Giselle squeezed under the bed and couldn’t help but grin. “As you wish, Inquisitor.”

***

Dorian unceremoniously opened the door to Cullen’s office and walked inside. Commander didn’t seem surprised at this sudden intrusion. No one ever knocked at his door. Not that they ever expected to find him doing anything other but working. And obviously that was what he was doing now. 

“Commander!” Dorian greeted him with a wide grin. “Nose to grindstone as always. I can hardly see you under this pile of reports.”  
“Ah, Dorian.” Cullen straightened his back, secretly thankful for this little break. “What can I do, Inquisition never sleeps.”  
“Neither do you as it seems. Sleep or have fun. We hardly play chess anymore.” Dorian made his voice sound as reproachful as possible. Cullen opened his mouth to come up with some excuse, but Dorian stopped him.  
“No need to explain, Commander. Inquisition would be lost without you. But even you need a break once in a while. Perhaps a round of drinks with a friend would help you sleep better.”  
Cullen smiled wearily. “As much as your offer tempt me, I don’t think it’s wise for me to enjoy myself in the tavern while our soldiers risk their lives out there.”  
“You would be surprised how your soldiers can benefit from seeing you actually being human. But, with all the respect for our tavern’s ale, I came up with something more sophisticated to tempt you, Commander. What would you say for a glass of the finest wine from Minrathous? Just you and me.” He observed carefully Cullen’s reaction. The man seemed still unconvinced. Dorian had to bring in the heavier artillery. “That’s one of the last bottles I brought with me. Lady Inquisitor drank them all up, I swear. It’s her absolute favorite.”

Seeing Cullen putting his reports aside made Dorian grin even wider. “Excellent.”

***

“…and then she leaped after him begging him to give her that book.” Dorian said wiping tears from his eyes, while Cullen burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you haven’t heard this story, Commander. Varric made sure everyone was talking about it for weeks.”  
“I’m not exactly a gossip person.” Another wave of laughter caught him as he recalled what he just heard from Dorian. “Oh, I can’t wait to tease Cassandra about it tomorrow.”

The bottle was nearly empty and two men were enjoying themselves immensely. Dorian would have never guessed that Cullen plus wine mixed together would give such a great company. 

“I didn’t know the Inquisitor was such a tease.” Cullen said still laughing. 

Dorian took a moment to evaluate the situation and decided they had had enough of foreplay already. It was time to take action. “Oh, there is quite a lot of things you don’t know about our lady Inquisitor.” He said enigmatically and added, “Or maybe less recently. I heard Cole had given you a little insight.” 

The way Cullen’s face immediately turned red showed that he didn’t need much time to follow Dorian’s way of thoughts.

“I… I didn’t… Cole was…” he sighed, “It’s hard to say what he means sometimes.”  
“But, judging from your crimson cheeks, not this time.” Dorian’s teasing tone made Cullen turn even deeper red. He hid his face in hands to cover the change of color.  
“I don’t… ah… I don’t know what to make of it. What he said was… it was…”  
“Titillating? Exhilarating? Tantalizing?” Dorian offered helpfully.

As a response Cullen picked up his glass and downed the entire drink with one swig.

“I can’t say I haven’t… thought about… that she could… that we…” He was doing pretty well up until the word _we_ appeared. The thought of him and Trevelyan put together as _we_ was apparently too much. Dorian filled Commander’s glass with what was left in the bottle and sighed. For this man a gentle pressure was nowhere near enough. He needed a push, a solid one, and Dorian was ready to provide it. If Trevelyan knew what he was about to say, she would kill him without hesitation. But when Dorian joined the Inquisition, he knew death might be the price.

“Commander” he started solemnly, “do a favor for me and yourself, for Inquisition and the whole Thedas and put this hopelessly infatuated girl out of her misery.”  
Cullen was baffled. “What do you… you mean… such as…”  
“Such as take her somewhere nice and quiet, like this room above us, undress, lay on the bed and kiss every place on her naked body until she forgets her own name.” 

Dorian finished and proudly watched the fruit of his labor. And Maker, it was glorious. There were no words in any language to describe the picture of Cullen’s face. If Maryden could see it, Dorian would soon expect to hear the song in the Skyhold tavern poetizing the magnificence of this mayhem. 

“It was a pleasure to enjoy your company, Commander. Have a good night.” Dorian politely excused himself and left. His mission was accomplished.


	6. Interrupted

Cullen was sitting at his desk, face buried in his hands. He was supposed to be at the courtyard already, receiving reports and inspecting soldiers that had just returned from Emprise du Lion. But he couldn’t. That would mean he would have to face the Inquisitor. _…undress, lay on the bed and…_ Cullen banged his forehead against the desk with a groan of torment, like it could get this sentence out of his head. All he got was a suspicious red mark that earned him a strange look from the scout, who had just entered his office. 

“Commander, soldiers are awaiting you at the main gate ready to give the report.”  
“Yes, thank you.” Cullen rose from his place and lugubriously followed the scout like the condemned about to be hanged. 

He saw her from afar, back straight, hands on her hips. She noticed him too. Hurriedly excused herself to the rest of the party and set off towards him. Cullen watched her hips swing as she drew nearer and felt his stomach tightening. _…every place on her naked body…_ Slowly blood ran to his face. He felt lightheaded. She stopped to face him and concern poured over her face.

“Is everything alright, Commander? You don’t look well.” She raised her hand to his still reddish forehead to check the temperature. “I roam the coldest parts of Orlais and it is you who catch a cold?” 

She was touching him. _…kiss every place on her naked…_ He felt his panic rising.

“I’m… I’m sorry, I have to…” He riffled through his head trying to come up with any coherent activity he could possibly be urged to conduct, but all he found there were just _kiss_ and _naked_ banging about. Seeing that lingering could only make things worse, he turned around and hurried away in a random direction. 

Trevelyan tilted her head and curiously watched him recede. _So this is what Cole was talking about…_ She smiled to herself feeling like she just got a superpower. 

***

Cullen immediately rose to his feet as Trevelyan entered his office, a fresh report in her hand. 

“I heard you‘d had an encounter with red templars on your way back. Are you alright?” He asked with obvious concern.  
“Ah, I’m fine.” She waved her hand. “It wasn’t a big group, but they got us by surprise.” She paused for a moment like she was unsure whether to share more. She placed her hand on her side and made a little grimace. “Although, one almost got me from the side.” Seeing Cullen’s eyes widen she added quickly. “Only with the flat of the sword, nothing serious. It hurts a little when I breathe though. I hope my ribs aren’t broken…”

It wasn’t completely a lie. One of red templars indeed got pretty close, but the soldier guarding her was so fast in his reaction that the blade hardly touched her. Cullen didn’t need to know that though. 

“Why haven’t you seen a healer?”  
“I will. As soon as they are done with our soldiers. Some of them got it much worse.”  
“Still, I think…”

Before he got to finish, she positioned herself on his desk, her side facing him, and rolled up her jacket. “Can you take a look for me?”

Cullen stared dumbly at her bare flesh. With his mind completely blank, he obediently raised his hands to examine her. He was hypnotized. She shifted her body to move closer. Now he could clearly see every pale scar, every faint hair covering her smooth skin. His fingers only inches away. His eyes traced a delicate outline of her ribs, her chest rising and falling as she breathed. If she pulled her jacket a little higher, he would see... A familiar sentence slowly crawled into his head. _…undress, lay on the bed and kiss every place on her naked body…_ That was it. He was done. The moment his fingers touch her, he would inevitably execute every part of Dorian’s command. 

A door suddenly opened with a loud creak. One of the soldiers entered and froze at the scene streatching before him. Trevelyan jumped away like a frightened animal covering her belly with a speed of light, her face color of a fresh tomato. For a moment she looked like she was trying to come up with some excuse, but instead she passed around the intruder and rushed outside. The soldier followed her with his gaze, too dumbfounded to properly greet the Inquisitor. Cullen pulled himself together and cleared his throat to bring soldier’s attention back to his task.

“I… eh…” Soldier glanced at the report in his hands and tried to say something coherent, but Cullen raised his hand to stop him.  
“Just put it on my desk.” He said with a heavy sigh and collapsed on the chair covering his face with his hands.


	7. Morning… piss

Morning found lady Inquisitor lying wide-awake in her bed. She couldn’t sleep, not after how she made a fool of herself the previous day. Again. Amazing how often it happened to her. But this time it was different. Before that memorable conversation with Cole in Emprise du Lion, she would never have thought Cullen could take notice of her, for countless reasons. First of all, she was his superior and his professionalism would never allow him to think of her as anything more. Also, she was considerably younger. And she was a mage. Not that it mattered much anymore after the whole world turned upside down and the sword of order called the Inquisition was being led by no one else but a mage, but still... She heard the templars whisper how shocking it was for their former Knight-captain, so famous for his distrust of mages, to follow one. But what she saw in Cullen’s eyes the previous day was anything but distrust. Something she never expected to see. Lust? Groaning, she rolled over to her belly and covered her head with a pillow. Regardless of his earlier willingness, he was certainly furious with her now. Even someone as oblivious as Cullen would have realized that he was being shamelessly seduced. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted and heat poured over her at the very thought. Maybe not everything was lost.

And then there was another thing. With Skyhold being a hotbed of gossip as it was, she was absolutely certain there wasn’t a person in the whole castle that hasn’t already heard at least three times about yesterday’s occurrence and it wasn’t even time for breakfast. She suddenly felt much less enthusiastic about leaving her bed. 

***

Morning found Commander Cullen bent over his desk. He was doing everything to keep himself busy, but the boring list of requisitions before him wasn’t too helpful in keeping his thoughts in check. Cullen was angry with himself for letting her lure him into that trap, for he had already realized that is was indeed a trap. For years he was being dinned by the Chantry about just how dangerous mages were as they could easily be possessed by demons and turned into dreadful abominations. Yet, somehow the Chantry failed to mention that female mages didn’t need demons at all to be deadly dangerous as they were. He was angry for letting her turn himself into a stammering schoolboy whenever she came in sight. He was angry for analyzing each of their conversations over and over hundreds of times and that even now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Yet, after all that happened yesterday, he was determined never so much as lay his eye on her again. 

_Knock. Knock._

Cullen raised his head. No one ever knocked. He hurriedly lowered it again as soon as he heard a familiar voice. 

“Can I come in?”

His lack of answer didn’t stop her from entering. She locked the door after herself and slowly came up, waiting for him to put papers aside and turn his attention towards her. Nothing. She stood there in silence for a moment shifting weight from one foot to the other and then circled his desk moving from left side of the room to the right. It took her a little over a minute to break his iron will. Finally, anguished, he raised his head to gaze upon his abomination of desire. There she stood, eyes down, a picture of remorse. _Aren’t abominations supposed to be ugly?_ A racking thought crossed his mind as he watched her form that was anything but ugly. He expected her to say something, but instead she rested her hip against the desk and studied the requisition lists as if she found them deeply fascinating. 

“Was there something you needed?” He finally asked.  
“I thought we could talk.” She raised her eyes to look at him. “Alone.”  
“Alone?” Butterflies in Cullen’s stomach fluttered, all his previous resolve instantly shattered into pieces. “I… I mean, of course.”

***

Cullen led her outside, to the furthest part of the battlements he could possibly think of. _He isn’t taking any chances to be walked up on again_ , Trevelyan thought. Normally she would find his nervousness amusing, but in that very moment she was almost as anxious as he was. Or more. She felt a giant lump growing in her throat. What exactly was she planning to say? Cullen wasn’t too helpful either.

“It’s a… nice day.” He made an awkward attempt at casual conversation, though he surely would have said that even if there was pouring rain. His hand inadvertently went to the back of his neck, a sign of uneasiness.  
“What?” She blurted out without thinking.  
“It’s…” He sighed and gave in under her scrutinizing gaze. “There was something you wished to discuss.”

 _Oh Maker, was there?_ She had no idea what in the name of Andraste she intended to say. Apologize for denuding herself the previous day in an awkward attempt to seduce him? She was rooting through her head in search of anything coherent to say, but somehow in that very moment all the right words suddenly went missing leaving her mind completely blank. That being so, she was herself astonished to hear her own words coming out.

“I find myself thinking of you more than…” The rest of her courage fled making her stumble. “Well… all the time, really.” 

An excruciatingly long pause occurred before Cullen finally spoke.

“I… can’t say I haven’t wondered what it would be like…”  
_Good sign or bad sign?_ “What’s stopping you?”  
“You are the Inquisitor, we are at war and you… ah… I didn’t think it was possible.” 

Did that mean he was willing? Trevelyan wasn’t sure.

“And yet I’m still here…” She offered him a little encouragement.  
“So you are… It seems too much to ask, but I want to…”

Ha _was_ willing. Cullen spoke leaning closer and closer. He made her take a small step backward and her back touched the stone wall. He rested hands on her hips and his lips drew nearer, almost touching hers. Her heart raced. She tilted head back and closed her eyes quivering in anticipation.

“Commander!” Suddenly an unwelcome voice broke the blissful moment. “You wanted a copy of Sister Leliana’s report!”

She felt Cullen’s body stiffen and her own limbs went numb. She exhaled and only then realized she had been holding her breath. One would think, by now she should be used to being notoriously humiliated, yet still in that very moment she prayed fervently to disappear. Cullen slowly turned to face the intruder.

“What?” The furiosity in his voice startled her, but apparently not the scout. 

“Sister Leliana’s report.” he repeated obliviously, “You wanted it delivered without delay.” 

After a long awkward silence scout finally noticed Commander’s murderous glare. He glanced at Trevelyan, hiding behind Cullen’s back and trying desperately to be anywhere but there, and back at Cullen. Slowly realization poured over his face. 

“Or… to your office… right.”

He withdrew quickly and before she looked again he was gone. But the harm was done, the moment was lost. She sighed in disappointment.

“If you need to… um…”

Cullen didn’t let her finish. The force with which he pinned her to the wall and pressed his lips to hers made her moan. 

“I’m sorry…” he said finally breaking the kiss “It was… um… really nice.” 

Trevelyan’s head was spinning. In this moment whole Skyhold could show up with all the reports in the world and she wouldn’t care. Her cloudy mind barely grasped what he was saying. 

“You don’t regret it, do you?” She asked fearfully.  
“No! No. Not at all.” And to prove his point he slowly leaned forward and kissed her again. And again. And again.

***

Sera was combing through countless packs and pouches while horriefied merchants were bending over backwards to keep their goods from being all jumbled up by this elven incarnation of havoc. The merchants and escorting them guards had only just arrived from Val Royeaux with provision supplies and, to they great dismay, were halted on the Skyhold bridge before they even passed the gates. Nevertheless, not even one was brave enough to refuse the fearsome Red Jenny. And so here they were, packs scattered all over the bridge while Sera was questing after her longed-for cookies. 

She was picking one bag after another, raising them up to scan the interior against the sun and cursing the merchants for not making their bags from something more transparent than linen. Suddenly an odd sight caught her eye. Two lonely figures high up on the battlements doing something… She squinted in the bright light trying to get a better view.

“Andraste’s holy piss!” Sera burst out and shot her hand up bringing everyone’s attention to the point of interest.

Almost a hundred of merchants and soldiers obediently shifted their gazes to the pointed direction, apparently hoping to see the blessed excrement. Nevertheless, the sight of the Commander of the Inquisition pinning the Herald of Andraste against the wall and kissing her fervently was not any less rewarding.


End file.
